Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33156885›Full record

ArticlePloS one2020

Is reporting quality in medical publications associated with biostatisticians as co-authors? A registered report protocol.

Ulrike Held, Klaus Steigmiller, Michael Hediger, Martina Gosteli, Kelly A Reeve, Stefanie von Felten, Eva Furrer

Abstract readComparative Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Observational
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Ulrike HeldDepartment of Biostatistics at Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0003-3105-5840
Klaus SteigmillerDepartment of Biostatistics at Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-2527-9234
Michael HedigerInstitute of Mathematics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-7484-7138
Martina GosteliMain Library, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Kelly A ReeveDepartment of Biostatistics at Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Stefanie von FeltenDepartment of Biostatistics at Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-5264-6394
Eva FurrerDepartment of Biostatistics at Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-1997-9744

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundQuality in medical research has recently been criticized for being low, especially in observational research. Methodology is increasingly difficult, but collaboration between clinical researchers and biostatisticians may improve research and reporting quality. The aim of this study is to quantify the value of a biostatistician in the team of authors.

methodsSingle-center, retrospective observational study following the STROBE reporting guidelines. We will systematically review all medical publications with biostatisticians from our center as co-authors or authors and review corresponding papers without biostatisticians from our center during the same time range. We will compare aspects of reporting quality, overall and for the three study types observational, randomized trial, and prognostic separately. DISCUSSION: We anticipate that the results of the study will raise awareness of the importance of high methodological quality, as well as appropriate reporting quality in clinical research.

conclusionOur study will have a direct impact on our center by making each of us more aware of the reporting guidelines for various research designs. This in turn will enhance reporting quality in future research with our involvement. Our study will also raise awareness of the important role that biostatisticians play in the design and analysis of health research projects.

Indexed as

AuthorshipBiomedical ResearchBiostatisticsGuidelines as TopicHumansIntersectoral CollaborationObservational Studies as TopicRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicResearch DesignRetrospective Studies

Identifiers

PMID33156885
PMCPMC7647072

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.